Employees of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) continue its tradition of donating blood in order to help save more lives.

In a press release issued on Thursday, Dr. Concepcion Cabildo of DAR’s medical team unit, said the blood donation will benefit the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), specifically children patients in need of blood.

“Ang DAR ay hindi lamang nagsisilbi sa mga benepisyaryo ng repormang agraryo, ngunit nagbibigay din kami ng tulong sa ibang mga tao tulad ng mga pasyente ng PCMC (The DAR not only serves agrarian reform beneficiaries, but we also extend help to other people like the patients of PCMC),” Cabildo said.

PCMC medical staff led the conduct of blood letting activity where 57 bags of blood with 450 ml per bag, was collected from 57 DAR employees.

The DAR has been conducting blood-letting activities since 2008 and donating them to help patients in need of blood.

Cabildo said that DAR employees do the activity at least twice a year.

“Blood itself is life and saves lives. As a doctor, I have firsthand knowledge of the impact of the availability of a safe and adequate supply of blood products,” she said.

Cabildo added that aside from the patient who will receive the blood, donating blood in itself is beneficial to the physical health of the donor.

Moreover, the activity has a psychological benefit to the donors knowing that they were able to help others, and maybe add more years to someone else’s life.

The annual bloodletting activity is an advocacy of DAR for its employees to imbibe the core principles in valuing people, to give high regard for their work and the organization, as well as to help augment the supply of safe blood for the PCMC’s blood bank. (PNA)